Did you forget that Hop barely had a winning record late in the season and was a squeaker of a win against Penn State away from being out of the B1G and NCAA tournaments? I give Petro a lot of credit for navigating through a very difficult season off and on the field. That said, these aren't the good old days. Yes, they made it to a FF game last year. But for a revered program they have done little to none in past 6-7 years. That's a long time. UVA has been a doormat in the ACC for 4 years running now. UNC, well...let's not even pile on out of politeness.
Early recruiting malaise contributes at least some to this. A better indictment of ER would be poor results this year and next...the 2015s and 2016s were the first of the real pre-mature recruits classes.
Very good points regarding the teams you mention. The early recruiting thing I have to disagree with. Early recruiting has been going on for a while. When everyone (common folk) gets wind of something it means it has been going on for a while. I think that its been going on for a very long time it just has become more evident and noticeable.It also became more in your face with all the websites and coverage lacrosse is getting. I also feel it is because parents started bragging and then every early recruit started having it posted wherever and whenever they could. This is the age of social and digital media where news travels at the speed of light across the world. Just my two cents. I also feel that the good ole boy teams are fighting a very difficult battle because there are so many programs and kids playing the game. 20-30 years ago the teams were Hopkins, North Carolina, Syracuse, and Princeton who won the majority of national titles. So in a 21 year span from 1978-1998 only 4 teams won the national championship. The expansion of the game is going to create more parody. That is why roster size is growing. I wish the scholarships would reflect the growth of the game.
